Together They Fall
by IntangibleStarlight
Summary: Her story didn't really start until Harry's 5th year. With the return of Voldermort, and no one believing he his back, Dumbledore has asked a young home schooled student to go to Hogwarts to protect Harry and his friends. She will find out just how hard it is to protect "The Chosen One" and her secret. (Takes place during and after The Order of the Phoenix) (Rated T to be safe)
1. Prologue: A New Name

"She's so cute, pink, and squishy!" A young Nymphadora Tonks exclaimed while poking at the fleshy cheek of her new baby sister.

"Yes, she is quite the cute girl. She already has a head full of dark hair." Andromeda Tonks held the sleeping 2 year in her lap, rocking her softly. For the past three hours she had cried nonstop, it was only a few minutes ago Andromeda was able to break the curse placed upon the child that made her see the Tonks family as monsters.

"Nymphadora, your mother and I need to talk. And it's really late, way past an 8 year olds bedtime. So now it is time for you to go to sleep as well." Edward Tonks spoke very quietly and with some urgency, the matter at hand was important.

"Fine. But we better be keeping her." Even at the age of 8, Nymphadora had quite the confidence and attitude.

After Edward heard the door to his daughters room slam shut he turned to his wife who still cradled the little girl in her arms.

"Can we really keep her? You know as well as I do this could mean trouble for us." Edward was racked with guilt and fear, but held himself together.

Andromeda waited a moment to respond, looking from the innocent 2 year old child to the husband she loved and left her family for. "She is in Azkaban, Edward. If she ever does manage to get out, which I strongly do not believe she will as no one has ever escaped, she won't remember her child. And no one else knew about her. Dumbledore said she kept her child a secret, she kept her Death Eater ways and her home life separate and private. The only reason she had a child was to-"

Edward cut her off, "To continue the pure-blood line. And she probably wanted a boy too, I can't imagine if this little girl even got cared for."

"She seems rather small for her age," Andromeda lost herself looking at the baby girl. So full of life and with no bad record to hold her back. "You know, Edward, she could go to muggle school even at the age of eleven. We could homeschool her for magic, that way we won't ever have to worry about her running into trouble. Or anyone who may know who she really is. She won't have any bad influences in her life, she doesn't have to turn out like her mother." Andromeda already had come to the conclusion to keep the little girl and she would do anything to convince her husband that they could change the fate of this beautiful dark haired baby.

"That doesn't sound like a bad plan." Edward said in thought, trying to imagine what it would be like.

Finally, after a moment of hopeful silence, Edward broke it, "We should give her a new name, like Dumbledore suggested. Her mother named her Ara. Ara Lestrange."

"What an unfortunate name." Andromeda sighed, even though later in life people would question why she had named her own daughter Nymphadora.

"How about we keep with tradition of your family and name her after a constellation or a star?"

"Lynx. Lynx Tonks has a nice ring." Andromeda smiled at her new baby girl.


	2. Chapter One: Permission

The day wasn't exactly beautiful, the sun wasn't shining but the clouds showed no sign of rain. One couldn't see the blue sky from all the white fluffy clouds, if a child looked at the sky today it would ask it's mother, "Mom, why is the sky so white?" Nevertheless, it was still nice weather. The air was not cold enough to wear a coat but still just chilly enough to need a lightweight jacket. It was a summer day where the children came out to play with friends and hope that the day would never end.

Lynx Tonks lied on the vibrant green grass outside of her home, the sharp blades stuck into her back and made her a bit uncomfortable. She made a note to self to bring a blanket outside next time to lay on, that way it would be much more comfortable. To lazy to get a blanket now she dealt with the discomfort and watched the clouds roll on by as she daydreamed.

Lynx's summer days were always the most boring, seeing as she had no friends to hang out with and spent the time studying magic and being with her family. Lynx attended a muggle public school where she learned how to read, write, and calculate numbers together. At night she spent her time with her mother and sister, Andromeda and Nymphadora, learning about magic. During the summer muggle school was out, but her home studies continued on. Every year she got a letter from Hogwarts stating what books she would need if she was attending school and every year she got the books and knew her mother would tell her, "Maybe next year we will send you to Hogwarts." And then she would spend the year learning what everyone else at Hogwarts would be learning, except from the sheltered safety of her house.

This year would be the same, most likely, though it was just the beginning of summer. Surely Lynx could convince her mother that this year should be different. This year she should go to Hogwarts, after all in a year and six months she would seventeen and at that time she would be allowed to use magic whenever and wherever, instead of just inside of her house where the ministry knew underage magic would be performed.

Lost in her schemes and plans to attend the magical school of Hogwarts, Lynx almost missed the familiar crack of a wizard apperating nearby. Her ears always stayed a little in tune, she was used to listening for her sister who had trained a previous three years to become an Auror. Her sister had long days and would apparate nearby and sometimes fall asleep on the sidewalk. Lynx had learned to listen and then help her sister home and into bed.

Today Lynx knew her sister was already at home, she had been an Auror for almost a year now and always had Tuesdays off of work. Lynx sat up from the grass and looked around, everyone else was already at home and the Tonks did not get visitors all that often during the Summer. During the school year different wizards would come by to help teach Lynx, but the summer was everyone's down time.

Standing up now, Lynx shook out her dark brown hair, that was a shade away from black, which came down iron straight to her shoulder blades. Lynx brushed off the few grass strands that clung to her navy blue jacket and made her way to the street, where she cautiously looked both to the right and left.

Seeing nobody nearby she shook her head, she must have been imagining the noise. Though as she turned around to head back to her house she almost ran right into the very large wizard named Dumbledore.

"Oh!" Lynx put her hand up to her heart and breathed out a small breath to calm herself, "You scared me, Dumbledore."

In a hurry he said, "We must go inside, I need to talk to you and your family." With those words he simply turned and headed to the house and up to the small pale blue front door. His long grey robes seemed less cheerful then all the other magical robes he had and Lynx could tell something was wrong.

Albus Dumbledore had always visited the Tonks several times a year, a few times to chat and one time to administrate end of the year tests to Lynx. He was no stranger in their household so as he approached the door he entered without a knock.

Gathered in the living room on the green and brown sofas each family member sat in silence. Andromeda next to Edward and Tonks on the matching loveseat next to them. Lynx was the last to enter and she closed the door behind her very slowly.

"Voldemort has returned." Dumbledore said plainly and then paused to see the reactions of the Tonks. To Lynx's surprise, nobody looked shocked except herself. "No objections? Good. He is back and the ministry does not believe it. I am afraid the ignorance of the ministry and the rest of the wizarding world could be detrimental to us. The Order of the Phoenix has reassembled, Miss Tonks has already joined us as you know, Andromeda and Edward."

"So why have you come? We already believe he his back and while we do not like that Nymphadora has joined the Order, we still support her. What more do you want?" Andromeda said very gravely.

"I fear for Harry's safety, as you know he is the boy who survived death once and is the boy who faced Voldemort when he returned at the end of the Hogwart's school year. The boy is important, as far as I am concerned, and he needs to be safe. You all have trusted me throughout many years and now I am asking you to trust me and grant me a favor." Dumbledore nodded his head towards Nymphadora who stood up slowly and faced her parents. By this time Lynx had made her way to the couch and was seated next to Edward, her father.

"Lynx has been trained by some of the most amazing wizard and witches out there. She knows charms, spells, hexes, and curses better than she knows herself. And I have brought up the idea to the Order that maybe," Nymphadora hesitated for second seeing the looks of concern crossover her parents, "maybe, Lynx could attend Hogwarts this year to protect Harry."

Before Andromeda and Edward could protest Dumbledore stepped in to continue the reasons why they needed Lynx, "She will learn plenty and continue her schoolwork, she might even excel above most of the other students. It would give her a chance to meet more people that are like her. I only want to place her there because my professors can't always be hanging around Harry, that would be a little strange. Lynx is Harry's age and would get along just fine with all his friends."

And once again, before Andromeda and Edward could interject Lynx turned to them with wide eyes and spoke quickly, "Please may I go? I would love to help. I am trained in a lot of ways of spells that protect others. You have taught me so well, both of you! And this last year I was trained by Nymph, who is an Auror! What could be better than that? I am trained and prepared to help out. I have heard the horrors of the Dark Lord and while I am scared I know I could make a difference."

Andromeda stood up quickly and with energy, "No. Lynx you are not going to attend Hogwarts. I can't explain why but I just don't believe you should be attending. You need to stay here and work with me, there are too many bad influences out there."

Lynx didn't deter from her pleading, in fact she stood up to, now everyone was standing besides Edward. In a calm voice Lynx spoke, "I know who my birth mother is, Andromeda. I know where I originate from and I know what your concerns are. You are my mother, Edward is my father, and Nymph is my sister. I have been raised in a good home with a good family. Can you believe that I will not turn into a dark witch like my birth mother? Because I know I will not. You have taught me right from wrong." Taking a breath to think about her next sentence, Lynx remained very calm, "Now, Dumbledore has asked us a favor. More than anything, he has asked _**me **_to attend Hogwarts to protect someone he believes is important. We have always trusted Dumbledore and you trust me."

For the first time in her life Lynx made a good point, and not just a good point, but a mature point. Every other year her begging included her imagining playing quidditch and making friends. And every year Lynx would whine and cry like a child throwing a temper tantrum when her mother would not allow her to attend school. This was the first time Lynx held her ground and spoke with confidence, something her mother saw as a glimpse of herself when she stood up to her own mother and married Edward.

Andromeda slowly sat back down and turned towards Edward, who was admiring the Lynx who stood before him.

Dumbledore spoke again, "I have come to admire your family. You took Lynx in when I was afraid nobody would and she would grow as an orphan. You have raised her in a true and honest fashion. I believe she would be an excellent and admired student at Hogwarts." Dumbledore could see Andromeda was still a little on the fence, so he continued, "She will be kept safe, I just want her there as an extra precautionary. I am asking her to come but I would still like your permission, seeing as she isn't of age."

"This is my task to complete and I accept it." Lynx turned to her parents with hope in her dark golden brown eyes, she did not look much like her birth mother but more like her mother who raised her.

Andromeda turned to Edward who nodded his head very slightly, Lynx held her breath, and Andromeda spoke, "What is the likeliness that Bellatrix will break out of Azkaban?"

"High." Dumbledore said without a beat.

A cold shiver of fear came over all the Tonks, they knew what this could mean for all of them. Andromeda took a second to compose herself before speaking, "Lynx, you might be safer at Hogwarts. But you cannot tell anyone, under any circumstance, who your birth mother is. If she escapes and still remembers you, she will come after you and us as well." Andromeda let out a breath.

"So I can go?" Lynx said, unsure if her mother just agreed to let her.

"Dumbledore, I want to hear more of this plan of yours. I know you are busy, but we are talking about my daughter." Andromeda ignored Lynx's question, still unsure.

"Certainly. Though it would be safer to discuss at the Order's headquarters, where if you agree, I would like Lynx to stay." Dumbledore was a busy man, but he understood a mother's concern.

"Lynx, pack some clothes. I am leaning towards letting you go, but we must go and discuss it first." Andromeda stood with her husband to prepare themselves to leave to the house of her ancestors. The place where her face had been burned off the giant Black tapestry.

Lynx rushed up the stairs and used her magic to pack very quickly, smiling to herself that her house was a safe ground for underage magic because it wouldn't be this fast without it, and within a minute she rushed back down the stairs, one bag in hand ready to learn about the adventure she would soon embark on.


End file.
